Arthur Wardle (1864–1949) was a British painter born in London. At sixteen, he exhibited a piece at the Royal Academy, marking the beginning of a career focused on animal subjects. His early work included a study of cattle by the River Thames.
Wardle demonstrated proficiency across oils, watercolours, and pastels, becoming a member of the Pastel Society in 1911 and the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours in 1922. His oeuvre encompassed both domestic and exotic animals, with subjects ranging from cattle and dogs to leopards, polar bears, and tigers, as seen in works like "A Tiger Resting." He often worked from sketches made at the London Zoo. Wardle painted "The Totteridge XI" (1897), a notable depiction of the modern Fox Terrier, commissioned by breeder Francis Redmond.
Throughout his career, Wardle exhibited over 100 works at the Royal Academy until 1936, and also at the Society of British Artists at Suffolk Street. He held his first solo exhibition at the Fine Art Society in 1931 and later exhibited at the Vicar's Gallery and in Paris. His animal paintings were widely reproduced on various commercial items.
